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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to portable building structures. More specifically, this invention is directed to a portable and modular comfort station that features flexibility in construction to accommodate a variety of applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable toilet shelters are widely used throughout the world at construction sites, outdoor public events, and other points-of-use having large gatherings of people. Portable toilet shelters generally include a base, four walls including a door, and a roof. Mounted within the typical shelter, a waste tank is positioned on the base and includes a top surface with an opening therethrough and a toilet seat hingably mounted over the opening. The waste material drops, under the influence of gravity, into the tank where it is accumulated for collection. The waste tank is pumped out through the toilet opening as needed.
A major disadvantage with the conventional portable toilet shelter is that the waste tank, and the waste therein, is open to the inside of the enclosure. This open condition subjects each user of the portable toilet to the unsightly waste in the waste tank and to the unpleasant odors emanating therefrom. A related problem is that chemicals must be added to the waste tank to reduce the odor and bacteria levels. Another disadvantage is that the typical portable toilet shelter has a limited waste capacity and requires interruption of use to pump the shelter out. Finally, since conventional portable shelters rely on gravity to flow waste to the storage tank, the conventional portable toilets must be elevated to accommodate a larger waste material storage tank that is positioned under the toilet, and such shelters require steps that are not handicap accessible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,960 to Tagg discloses a portable toilet unit with a flush system that reduces offensive odors and that provides a more sanitary and less unsightly waste disposal system. Tagg teaches a waste storage tank having a toilet structure formed on its upper surface mounted within the portable toilet unit. A separate removable water supply tank is arranged outside of and at the rear surface of the toilet unit for providing a supply of fresh water. As an alternative to the fresh flushing water, a pipe connected to a filter is run into the waste material holding tank, so that filtered waste liquid in the waste material holding tank may be drawn through the pipe and through a control valve to the flushing mechanism when the pump is actuated. The control valve can be set to open either pipe to the flush mechanism or to close off both pipes so that the toiled may be used in any one of three ways, that is: with a fresh water flush; a recycled waste liquid flush; or as a static, no-flush system.
A solution to the problem of offensive odors wherein the waste material is flushed is an improvement over static, non-flush toilets. The solution taught by Tagg is not, however, optimal in that the waste material generating the odor is still stored within the toilet unit. Furthermore, the waste material storage tank has limited capacity since the waste is stored within the toilet unit and below the toilet seat level. The influx of fresh water with each flush will fill the relatively small waste material storage tank more quickly requiring frequent evacuation of the waste material through the toilet seat opening. The solution disclosed in Tagg wherein the system is flushed with recycled waste will be less efficient in addressing the problem of offensive odor than a fresh water flush because filtration processes are imperfect and will result in malodorous fluids being cycled within the toilet unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,610 to Duck teaches a toilet enclosure having a flush toilet and waste tanks separate from the waste bowl of the toilet to reduce the problem of odors internal to the toilet enclosure. This invention includes the flush toilet mounted within the enclosure and connected via an outlet pipe extending through a wall of the enclosure to a lower waste tank. The lower waste tank is positioned outside and in back of the enclosure. An upper waste tank is mounted atop the lower waste tank and holds a flush mixture composed of an initial charge of fresh water as well as recirculated liquid waste from the lower waste tank.
Upon flushing the Duck toilet, part of the flush mixture flows under the force of gravity from a cistern of the flush toilet into the waste bowl of the flush toilet. The contents of the waste bowl are thus evacuated through the outlet pipe into the lower waste tank. Another part of the flush mixture is pumped from the upper waste tank into the cistern of the flush toilet to replace that portion of the flush mixture that was flushed into the waste bowl. The lower waste tank holds both solid and liquid waste, but includes a pump to transfer the liquid waste into the upper waste tank. As such, the upper waste tank stores the liquid waste in solution with the initial charge of fresh water. Before long, the initial charge of fresh water is recirculated such that it is thoroughly contaminated with liquid waste.
A major drawback with the Duck approach is that the primary object of Duck is destroyed by Duck""s own teachings. In other words, Duck aims to eliminate waste odor from within a portable toilet enclosure by removing the odor source to the outside of the enclosure. In part, Duck succeeds by relocating the solid waste to the outside of the enclosure. Ultimately, however, Duck fails to accomplish the primary goal of eliminating waste odors because Duck teaches recycling the malodorous liquid waste back into the cistern inside the enclosure. Such a design may be an efficient use of liquid waste, but it certainly teaches away from removing the source of odor from within the enclosure. In fact, Duck teaches adding chemicals to the liquid waste tank to attempt to control such odor. Unfortunately, however, chemicals can be expensive, high maintenance, ineffective, and malodorous in and of themselves. Moreover, Duck fails to provide a wash basin with which users can wash up after using the toilet. Additionally, Duck fails to teach a portable toilet facility that is modular and therefore easily expandable. Finally, Duck requires electricity hookups to run the pumps and switches necessary to operate the toilet.
From the above, it can be appreciated that portable toilet shelters of the prior art are not fully optimized to reduce objectionable odors from within the enclosure. Therefore, what is needed is a washroom that does not require electricity, that is handicap accessible, portable, modular, provides washroom fixtures that people are familiar with and comfortable in using, and that does not recycle waste products within the enclosure.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a portable and modular comfort station or washroom including an enclosure, a wash station, and a flush toilet.
The enclosure includes a base, supports, wall panels, a door panel and a roof. Preferably, the upright supports are mounted perpendicularly to the base. The door panel and the wall panels are mounted between the upright supports. The roof is attached to the top of the upright supports and the wall panels.
The flush toilet includes a toilet bowl, a toilet tank, a waste line and a waste tank. The toilet bowl is mounted to the base within the enclosure. The waste tank is positioned outside and behind the enclosure. The toilet bowl is connected to a waste line that extends outside the enclosure such that the odor from any waste disposal will not contaminate the area within the enclosure. The waste line is connected to the holding tank. The waste line may, however, terminate over a sewage drain or septic field in alternate embodiments. A toilet tank is mounted above the toilet bowl to one of the wall panels. The toilet tank is fluidically connected, such that fluid flows therethrough, to the toilet bowl and provides fresh water for flushing the toilet bowl.
The wash basin is mounted within the enclosure to a wall panel and includes a drain line extending therefrom that connects to the waste line. A fresh water supply line extends through one of the wall panels of the enclosure and is fluidically connected to the toilet tank and to the wash basin for supplying fresh water thereto. Alternately, an on-demand tankless gas heater can be used to heat the fresh water to provide hot tap water out of the wash basin.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a handicap accessible portable washroom that is simpler, private, comfortable, more sanitary and that more effectively reduces undesirable odor than the prior art.
It is another object to eliminate the need for pumps and fluid level switches, and thus eliminate the necessity of electricity hookups to run the portable washroom.
It is still another object that the portable washroom does not recycle any waste, either solid or liquid, through the toilet as the prior art requires.
It is yet another object to eliminate the need for chemical treatment to suppress waste odors within the enclosure.
It is still yet another object to provide a portable washroom that is handicap accessible/compatible.
It is a further object to provide a modular portable washroom that is easily expandable to accommodate more people than the prior art.
It is still a further object to provide a wash basin within the portable washroom and further provide hot tap water for the convenience and comfort of the user.
It is yet a further object to use a readily available garden hose to supply fresh water from any reasonably available water source such as a tank, well, or nearby building.
It is still yet a further object to provide a portable washroom that is easily maintained and/or repaired in the field.
It is another object to provide a portable washroom that is adapted to implement an existing septic system or sewer system such that pumping service is not required.
It is another object to provide a safe and secure portable washroom without violating the privacy of a user.